Road Trip
by chocolate solves all problems
Summary: Nick and jeff AU. They're going on a Road Trip, and, no, I'm not telling you where... Fair warning, there be romance and fluff here.
1. Part 1

This is something I'm doing for my english coursework, and the character names just so _happen _to be Nick and Jeff... Tell me what you think of it!

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Roadtrip

There is a great romantic image of the road. The black asphalt stretching on endlessly; further than the eye could possibly see, and the rumble of a car engine as a constant soundtrack. The way the road dips and crests beneath the wheels, jolting everyone awake just in time for the sunrise. There is a huge appeal in filming the entire experience, even though the grainy, uneven footage will probably never be watched.

These were the images I had kept with me for years in my hometown of Ann Arbor, never coming to fruition, yet never fading in intensity. At first, I thought I was too young- and seeing as I was about eight at the time, I was- but as I got older I kept finding reasons not to go. I couldn't drive, there was no-one I could take with me, it wasn't the right time; my excuses got thinner and thinner. I was too afraid to admit that I would never be brave enough to leave everything I knew behind. Until I met him. Nick.

He was a year older than me, with bright eyes and a string of very attractive boyfriends to his name. Clearly then, as a less-than-average kind of guy, I didn't stand a chance. He started getting closer to me in sophomore year; inviting me to sit with him at lunch, talking to me between classes. Of course I, being a socially awkward turtle, felt that he was just setting me up for disappointment, bringing my hopes up only to send them crashing down again. So I tried to avoid him… Somewhat unsuccessfully. Okay, I admit, I completely failed, and somehow ended up closer to him than ever. Nick had a strange way of doing that, of drawing people in closer than they could have anticipated. He wasn't malicious about it, though, no, never malicious. He was just… Friendly. People often said he was charismatic, but now, of course, I know it was so much more.

This means that when Nick found out about my lifelong dream, and decided that it was a brilliant idea, I caved almost immediately.

"Come on! It'd be so cool!" He pleaded with me. I was about to say no (for the fifth time) when he sweetened the deal. "I have a video camera."

That was the moment I crumbled. That was the moment I, Jeff Sterling, began the greatest adventure of my life.

I wasn't really surprised when Nick showed up at my house, on the first day of summer, in his beat up old Mustang, with a suitcase on the backseat. Without telling me. He waved excitedly to me when I opened the front door and yelled "Pack your bags! We're going on a Road Trip, baby! Wooo!" I have to admit, my heart pretty much stopped. The moment I got in the car, he turned to me and asked "Where to first?"

We ended up in Chicago, having traversed the interstate so much that I never wanted to see one ever again. He had brought his collection of driving songs with him, which livened things up a bit. It really was hilarious, when we looked back afterwards and realised that we'd listened to "Love Shack" so much that the CD was worn out. It's no wonder that I still know all of the words. And then? Route 66.


	2. Part 2

This the next part! I literally only just wrote this now.

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Day 1

The American flag fluttered over our heads, as we took in the wide river, with the tourist boats passing under the bridge that the trains were passing over. Cabs raced around the streets, each trying to outdo the others.

Nick turned the video camera on me. "So, Jeff. How are you likin' Chicago so far?" He asked, shoving the camera in my face.

I laughed and batted it away playfully. "I think it's great! Or at least I would if I could see it."

We messed around in the city until it got dark, then made our way back to the car. I was clinging to Nick the whole way.

"Nick…" I whimpered. He chuckled slightly before pulling me closer into him. I visibly relaxed. I didn't like being out in the dark; too many horror movies had made me wary of anything that might be attributed to the supernatural. Sadly, he had to let me go so he could grab the bags. We crashed at a hotel near the river, listening to the boats go by and the letting the sounds lull us to sleep.

Day 2

We left Chicago today. We found the very beginning of the Mother Road, and went silent for a moment, me turning the camera in all directions. This, we both knew, was the start of something huge. It didn't take long before we were saying goodbye to the city and looking out on the open road for the first time.

Nick turned to me, one hand on the steering wheel, and said what we were both thinking. "This is, like, sacred… It's route 66… I think this is gonna be the trip of our lives…" he looked into my eyes as he spoke, excitement clearly written in them.

"I think you might just be right." I replied, knowing that there was really nothing else that could be said.

Nick turned the stereo on, and "Life Is a Highway" blared out of the speakers at full blast as we sped on down the most famous road in America.

Day 3

The sky was pure blue, and the sun beat down on us, so we let the top down and fixed the video camera to my headrest when we changed drivers. Irresponsible, I know, but we're teenagers, we don't always make the best decisions. Nick and I were grinning like maniacs; there was no-one else on the road, and we could do anything we wanted. Fuelled by that thought, I got an idea.

"Turn the music up!" I shouted over the sound of the wind buffeting in our ears, then, slowly, carefully, stood up in the foot well. I raised my arms and threw my head back in ecstasy. At that moment, "Rebel Rebel" came on the radio

"Yeeeeaaahhhh!" I raised my arms and threw my head back in ecstasy. I could hear Nick below me, laughing in pure joy at the look on my face. After a few moments, I slid back down into the seat, losing all of my energy. I caught Nick's eye and grinned as he shook his head at me in disbelief. He reached over to angle the camera back to face the road; I hadn't noticed him moving it.

"Jeez, Jeff! Warn me before you pull a stunt like that! Do you want to become road kill?" He reprimanded me, but he couldn't keep the impressed smile off his face.

I snorted. "Like you would have done any different." I pointed out, smirking. We looked at each other for a moment, then burst out laughing, high off our own happiness. I couldn't help but notice the way his eyes sparkled when they met mine.

Day 4

I did most of the driving today. Once again, we had the top down. We barely spoke at all, just watched the scenery change around us, but the silence wasn't awkward. It was… comfortable. I'd never experienced a comfortable silence before, everything had always been tense for me, yet I hadn't even noticed the tension before. Sometime, mid-afternoon, Nick reached over to the stereo and flicked through the songs for a minute or two, until he settled on one. I didn't know it.

"It's '1952 Vincent Black Lightning'" He explained when I asked what song it was. "It's about a guy who falls in love with a girl called Red Molly, and when he dies, he gives his motorbike to her. " He continued quietly, "The bike's like a representation of everything he stands for and everything he loves, so giving it to Red Molly is like giving her himself. The bike is his love for her" Nick looked away as he finished, and I could see a dark red blush heating the back of his neck. I put my hand on his arm.

"That's beautiful." I said. I would have said more but, like on the first day of this trip, Nick had already said everything that could be said. He turned back to me.

"Really?" He asked, a small smile lighting up his face. "You don't think it's dumb?"

"No."

"My granddad used to own one. I only saw him ride it once, but every time I went to his place, I always used to watch him fix it up. I can't even remember a time when I couldn't find him in the shed out back." He took a deep breath. "Until two years ago."

I had a bad feeling about where this was going, but I couldn't stop myself from asking, "What happened two years ago?"

He turned pale. "He died." He replied shortly, and then turned to stare out of the window again. I could hear him sniffling, but, not knowing how to comfort him, I just concentrated on the road and tried to pretend I couldn't hear him crying. We didn't speak again.

Day 5

Nick was back at the wheel today, looking like he'd recovered from yesterday, although he was quieter than usual and silence not so comfortable. Neither of us had mentioned it; the camera stayed off. I mostly slept to avoid the tension; after escaping from it yesterday, I had no desire to go back to always second guessing what I said or did. I also wanted to give my best friend a chance to be alone, or at least as alone as you could be less than a foot away from someone. He stayed outside for a long time after we got to the motel. The woman on the desk asked what was wrong with him; I replied that I didn't know.


End file.
